About Us
SnapDragonz has been slowly evolving since 1999 when Krystal acquired her first iguana from her mother when she first moved to Edmonton, AB. While her mother believed it to be a harmless obsession, she soon learned that she had created a monster.
Shortly after the arrival of an iguana named Ezra, a few additions were made to the home -- a dog, a veiled chameleon, a leopard gecko -- and it just continued to grow.
Over ten years later, Krystal has been successfully breeding and raising leopard geckos on a small scale, and is now expanding this breeding hobby to include Kenyan Sand boas, corn snakes and African Fat Tail geckos. As space allows, these projects will only grow, but for now the small project will be limited.
Her husband, Dave, has been a huge support in her success and trials, and continues to support her and offer help where he can.
Krystal has had working AHT experience for two years. While her educational plan was to follow this course, some life changes were made. instead, she has decided to retain this knowledge and continue to learn while continuing on a different career path, but enjoying her hobby even more. While the certificate of education is nice to show off, the hands on experience is the most important aspect of learning.
What is SnapDragonz?
SnapDragonz is a small, home based business run by one woman that was inspired and developed from a hobbyist's passion of reptiles, amphibians and arachnids. What started with a single pet iguana turned into a career as quality pet supplies are shipped in for resale, feeder bug colonies have replaced the many books in the office and incubators are being filled with eggs from various animals.
SnapDragonz offers delivery services between Edmonton and Olds for the various products, and attends reptile shows and other trade shows throughout BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan as they come around through the year. The goal of the business is to educate and to encourage proper husbandry associated with these exotic animals, and help people to understand them as opposed to fear them. SnapDragonz officially opened for business in March and is constantly undergoing upgrades, improvements and changes to accommodate a growing customer base while trying to provide as much information as possible on the growing website in order to educate customers or curious parties.
Thank You!!
Of course, behind every success there is a backbone, and Krystal has had wonderful help along the way.
Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad.
~Norm Papernick
A Few of the Rescues
While mistakes are made in any hobby, the pet hobby is almost taken for granted by inexperience and irresponsibility. When someone or something is in need, Krystal has a hard time saying "no". Because of this, several of the animals under her care have been rescued from different situations.
Squirt is an 11-year old green iguana that lived in a 30-40 gallon terrarium for most of those years. He was provided with no water, no fresh veggies and only pellet food, had very low humidity and no UVB bulb. On x-ray, his bones were barely visible due to a low calcium concentration. He has a clubbed foot, disfigured toes, a poorly re-grown tail and the left side of his ribcage is dented. He is also missing half of his teeth and came to Krys and Dave with a mouth rot infection. While Squirt will not likely reach his mature adult size, he has grown a very small amount in the nearly two years under their care, and is showing daily signs of attitude improvement. He eats like a full grown iguana and, despite his previous ailments, seems to be content.
Lan is a flame point Tonkinese cat who seems to worm his way into every visitor's heart, and over all their clothes. His playful bites are not meant to harm, but he sometimes gets carried away. He
Oogey and Boogey are a pair of Mali uromastyx. They came here at about ten years old, and were given to Krystal as two males. It turns out that Oogey is, in fact, a female. They had never had a proper heat gradient and lived together in a 10 gallon terrarium. They were fed lettuce and beet greens now and again, and have suffered through several bad sheds. Boogey lost the tip of his tail shortly after coming here, but seems to be just fine, otherwise. Their 40 gallon terrarium has been difficult to maintain in regards to temperatures, but after a lot of adjustments, seems to have finally balanced.
While Krystal and David have been more than happy to take in these, as well as others, on a rescue and rehabilitation basis, they are by no means a"rescue". These animals have a forever home with them, with no possibility of breeding so they canmaintain a risk-free, healthy atmosphere and life while under their care. Many people do not consider the risks of "rescuing" an animal in order to breed it, and Krystal and Dave hope they can help educate people so these scenarios can be prevented.
Want to Know More?
Krystal is now keeping a journal. It is updated when she has time, or when there's something too exciting not to share! Check it out!
Caught in action! Krystal and/or SnapDragonz sitings!
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GST: 81059 6668 RT0001